Tobirama Senju looked at Yoruha with amazement on his face. "Are kids from this era really this extraordinary? He's only 12 and has already mastered the Flying Thunder God Technique."
The Third Hokage wore a proud expression. "Not only did he master the Flying Thunder God Technique at 12, but right after graduating from the Ninja Academy, he was able to kill a Jonin from the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist and has also mastered several powerful A-rank jutsu."
"Surely, he's even stronger now; otherwise, Orochimaru wouldn't have resurrected us with the Impure World Reincarnation." Tobirama calculated,
"By his age, he should only be 16 now." Although the Third Hokage had passed away, seeing Yoruha become so exceptional completely aligned with his expectations for him. In fact, Yoruha had already surpassed those expectations.
Hashirama nodded in agreement. "To be so strong at just 12... When we were 12, we weren't nearly as powerful."
Although Hashirama grew to possess overwhelming strength that could dominate the entire ninja world, at 12, his abilities were indeed quite average, not even at the level of a Jonin.
The same was true for Madara, who only awakened his Sharingan at 15, and it was just a single tomoe. Sasuke, on the other hand, awakened his Sharingan at six, though that was due to Itachi Uchiha's influence.
Normally, members of the Uchiha clan would awaken their Sharingan after 12, and not everyone could awaken it. In fact, most Uchiha never did, which is why the Sharingan is so precious.
Hearing that Yoruha killed one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen at 12 shocked the three of them. They knew that while the Seven Ninja Swordsmen weren't the strongest, with their swords, they could reach Kage-level strength, or at least the level of an elite Jonin.
This made it clear how powerful Yoruha was. Hashirama was delighted to see such a genius emerging in Konoha.
Tobirama, though pleased, sensed something was amiss. "Then why is this kid still here? Such a promising talent shouldn't be wasted here. Sarutobi, you should send him back immediately."
The Third Hokage was also anxious. "Yoruha, don't underestimate the power of the past Hokage. You're not ready to face them yet. You should leave here quickly."
Orochimaru, standing to the side, interjected, "Sarutobi-sensei, there's no need to waste your breath. That kid probably believes he can undo the Impure World Reincarnation on you all. He managed to do it once three years ago."
Orochimaru's words shocked them again. "What! Yoruha can actually undo the Impure World Reincarnation?" Tobirama, in particular, was astonished, knowing how difficult the technique was to master.
Even for him, undoing it was extremely challenging. If Yoruha could undo it, did that mean he also knew how to perform the Impure World Reincarnation? "This kid is unbelievably strong. The Impure World Reincarnation is a forbidden technique. How did you allow him to learn it, Sarutobi?"
The Third Hokage was at a loss. "Back then, because he learned jutsu so quickly, I let him access the archives to find jutsu he was interested in. I thought the Impure World Reincarnation was too difficult for him to learn." After all, even the Third Hokage himself hadn't mastered it.
"You know he's incredibly fast at learning jutsu, yet you still let him study such dangerous techniques? Are you trying to get him killed?" The reason forbidden jutsu are labeled as such is not only because they're difficult to master, but more importantly, because they're extremely dangerous. A slight mistake could lead to a deadly backlash.
At this moment, Hashirama seemed to recall something. "Wait a minute, are you saying Orochimaru fought with Yoruha three years ago?" The Third Hokage was taken aback. "What happened? Did they really fight afterward?"
The Third looked at Orochimaru.
Orochimaru, somewhat annoyed, replied, "That kid killed me once three years ago. Otherwise, I wouldn't have had to summon you all here, Sarutobi-sensei. It seems you don't know him very well either. Even three years ago, he already had the power to kill Kage-level opponents."
Orochimaru's words left the First, Second, Third, and Fourth Hokage stunned.
"Is that kid really human? At just 12 years old, he could already defeat Kage-level opponents. Monkey, you struggled so much to seal Orochimaru's hands, yet you weren't even as strong as that kid was at 12?" The Third Hokage's old face showed a hint of embarrassment.
Minato asked curiously, "But if Yoruha killed you three years ago, why are you alive now?" Orochimaru didn't want to explain, but Kabuto, standing nearby, spoke up on his behalf.
"Because Lord Orochimaru has the Reincarnation Jutsu. Theoretically, Lord Orochimaru cannot be killed. As long as the curse mark he left behind remains, he can be resurrected."
"I suppose Yoruha thought he had killed Lord Orochimaru three years ago." Hearing this, the Third Hokage realized just how many unethical human experiments Orochimaru had conducted. "Orochimaru, you're truly too evil. I regret being too soft-hearted back then and not killing you."
Orochimaru sneered, "Sensei, you've grown old. It's precisely because I've become as 'evil' as you say that I've achieved eternal life and can study the world's jutsu. Now, I'm very interested in Yoruha's body. He's so powerful; his body must be special."
Hearing this, Hashirama and Tobirama Senju coldly said, "Orochimaru, do you really have to go that far? You were once a ninja of Konoha, yet you have no sense of loyalty."
Orochimaru laughed heartily, "First and Second Hokage, you come from a time of war. You know that becoming strong requires great sacrifices." Hashirama and Tobirama frowned.
They understood this, but they didn't want anything to happen to Yoruha. From Orochimaru and the Third's conversation, they could see just how exceptional Yoruha was.
They didn't want such an outstanding ninja to fall here. The Third Hokage knew that talking more with Orochimaru was a waste of breath. Turning to Yoruha, he said, "Yoruha, your safety is crucial to Konoha. Don't act recklessly."
Yoruha smiled, "Lord Hokage, you know I can use the Flying Thunder God Technique. If I'm really outmatched, I'll naturally leave." The Third Hokage's mouth twitched slightly. "You, sigh, why are you so stubborn?" He knew he couldn't persuade Yoruha.
Understanding the Third's concern, Yoruha added, "Lord Hokage, there's no need to worry. Konoha is still quite strong. Even if something happens to me, there's Sasuke, Lady Tsunade, Jiraiya, Naruto, and Sakura."
Hearing Naruto's name, Minato, who had been silent, looked at Yoruha and asked, "Yoruha, do you know Naruto?" Yoruha didn't answer, but the Third Hokage replied for him, "Naruto and Yoruha are friends. They're from the same generation of ninjas."
Relieved to hear that Naruto was safe, Minato sighed in relief.